One of the basic tenants of Western Civilization is to distinguish between society and its government. That is what distinguishes the West from the East. When we lose the import of that distinction we have lost Western Civilization.
If society is a steak, government is the sauce. Criticism of the sauce is not a comment on the steak. Criticism of the government is not a comment on one’s country. At least it hasn’t been in the West.
The socialists have definitely lost that distinction. They see their government—as do Easterners—as part and parcel to that society. That is why they must have a messiah to follow in the presidency and other levels of the government. They don’t hear the policies. They watch the man.
I did not realize how precarious the existence of Western Civilization was until I heard conservative talk show host Vicki McKenna accuse some individuals of being unpatriotic because they were critical of and protesting some policy of then President George W. Bush.
What has criticism of the policies of the government have to do with patriotism? What has distrust of government have to do with love of one’s country? In the West they have nothing to do with each other. In the East it means everything.
Notice how socialists continuously make the statement that those who want Obama to fail must want the country to fail. They see no distinction between the two entities. They consider that Obama and the USA represent the same thing: all of us.
Under socialism, government and society have everything to do with each other. They are virtually one in the same. With libertarianism the distinction is sharp. Under fascism the relationship is hazy.
According to historian Carroll Quigley, learning that distinction was a hard won 300 year lesson. When an intelligent, knowledgeable researcher such as Vicki McKenna makes such a statement as referenced above, that is a big red warning flag: This hard won lesson is being lost. And if it gets lost, then so goes the West.
A Libertarian Manifesto
12 years ago
